Synthesis of Reduced TiO2 Nanoparticles for the Degradation of Organic Dyes

Document Type : Research Article

Authors
alireza niknam 1
Ali Asghar Sabbagh Alvani 2
Reza Salimi 3
seyed amirali mostafavi mousavi 4
1 Amirkabir university of technology
2 Amirkabir University of Technology
3 Color&Polymer Research Center, Amirkabir University of Technology
4 Amirkabir university of technology - polymer and color eng. / color and polymer research center
10.22034/amnc.2025.505177.1280
Abstract
This study investigates and enhances the photocatalytic performance of titanium dioxide (TiO2). The main objective is to overcome the limitations of TiO2, including its wide bandgap and high electron-hole recombination rate. Initially, TiO2 nanoparticles were synthesized using the sol-gel method, and their anatase structure was confirmed through X-ray diffraction (XRD) patterns. To improve visible light absorption, TiO2 was reduced using sodium borohydride under an argon atmosphere. Results indicated that the crystallinity percentage of the reduced TiO2 was 71.7%, and its specific surface area increased to 75m²/g. Additionally, the energy bandgap of the reduced sample (2.3 eV) was lower than that of pure TiO2 (3.2 eV), demonstrating enhanced light absorption in the visible range. The photocatalytic activity of the samples was evaluated in the degradation of methylene blue, revealing a degradation percentage of 63% for the reduced sample. These findings suggest that modifications in the structural and chemical properties of reduced TiO2, such as increased oxygen vacancies and the presence of Ti3+ ions, lead to an extended absorption spectrum into the visible range and improved photocatalytic performance.
Keywords
TiO2
Reduced TiO2
Photocatalyst
Degradation
Subjects